The Rock's World Championship Wins - Ranked From Worst To Best

7. Raw Is War February 1999

The Rock Ladder Match Mankind RAW
network.wwe.com

Another month in 1999, another title change. One side note, it is rather uncomfortable watching the intro package for RAW at this time as the video shows at least five unprotected chair shots to the head. The company must have been aware of the dangers by this time, surely? Either way, by February 1999 the feud between The Rock and Mankind had reached its apex, and they were fast running out of gimmick matches in which to do battle in.

After a drawn Last Man Standing match the night before, the two did battle in a Ladder match on Raw Is War to decide who would face Stone Cold Steve Austin in the main event of WrestleMania XV. As with all Rocky/Mankind matches the plunder level is high, with the fight going to the outside and through the crowd. Austin is on commentary here and puts in an excellent performance, putting both men over as well as hyping the importance of the Mania main event.

This is 1999 however, and shenanigans were guaranteed for the finish. Big Show (then known by his real name, Paul Wight) gets involved, chokeslamming Mankind off the ladder allowing Rocky to climb up and grab the title. The moment is almost missed as the production team decides to stay a little too long on Wight and Austin, but filmed or not the moment happened. Rocky grabs the title, inking his spot in his first WrestleMania main event in the process.

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Contributor

Born in the middle of Wales in the middle of the 1980's, John can't quite remember when he started watching wrestling but he has a terrible feeling that Dino Bravo was involved. Now living in Prague, John spends most of his time trying to work out how Tomohiro Ishii still stands upright. His favourite wrestler of all time is Dean Malenko, but really it is Repo Man. He is the author of 'An Illustrated History of Slavic Misery', the best book about the Slavic people that you haven't yet read. You can get that and others from www.poshlostbooks.com.